Smoke and Mirrors

Why I know LeBron is staying put
by Conor Levis
LeBron James is not going to Miami. I'm not buying it. I know this, because I have a theory. Whats the worst possible scenario for the LeBron TV special? Answer- ESPN wastes an entire hour on a special, after all the hype this summer, just to have LeBron stay with the Cavs. Solution? Create a rumor going into tonight that Lebron is going to join Wade and Bosh in Miami, convince everybody its true, that way the Cleveland announcement (the most boring scenario) has a new excitement and shock to it. That way, the summer long hype and 1 hour special werent seemingly for nothing. Otherwise, why would ESPN leak the information that LeBron is leaning towards Heat and spoil the announcement when they have a freaking 1 hour special on the way? It doesn't make sense.

I do know one thing that makes sense though, LeBron can't leave Cleveland. Even if he wanted to, he can't. LeBron grew up there. He's lived there his whole life. He even lives there in the offseason. He knows the city's history and all of the failure that comes with it. He's lived through it. If he leaves, he doesn't just devastate an entire city's fan base, he devastates an entire state. The people of Ohio will turn on him faster than NBC turned on Conan. The person that once adored him will loathe him. He will replace Art Modell as public enemy number one. He would effectively murder professional sports in Cleveland. He knows this, and that's why he won't do it. He would never be able to show his face in Ohio again. He loves his home too much to put himself in that situation.

If Cleveland is the decision, it won't just be Cavs fans that are winners, but all of us. Because 'The Chosen One' as so many like to call him was meant to stay there. He was meant to lead his hometown team to a title, not jump ship and take the easy route. He's one of the greatest players we've ever seen, and as a basketball fan, I don't want to see his legacy tarnished. He means to much to the game of basketball. That's why tonight is going to be so special. Tonight, the landscape of the NBA is about to change. I can't wait.

Game 5

The Dwight Debacle
by Rick

its evident this blog is dead, and this post isnt going to change that. what id like to address is a couple issues with game 5 of the eastern conference finals. issue 1 is not discussed, but is blatantly obvious. issue 2 may be a bit of conspiracy theorizing, but i hate david stern and think its not as far fetched as it appears on the surface.

issue 1: dwight howard's "unintentional" elbowing. how many times a game is he allowed to unintentionally elbow someone before a pattern is formed. the announcing team (who are barely capable let alone informed) noticed that and kept repeating how the elbows were not intentional. at the end of the game i believe it was mike breen who stated that the celtics were going back to boston a bit "frightened". after what dwight did to davis and peirce in the first half how could they not be frightened? all im saying is take notice of how howard comes down after every attempted block shot. he comes down and uses the other player to break his fall. he is one of the few players in the nba i see do this consistently. most other players try to avoid doing this, it seems this is howards main line of defense when taking a tumble is on the docket. there is an easy way to do this, play a bit of a drinking game. everytime howard uses another player to break his fall and throws an "unintentional" elbow or forearm or anything take a shot. see how drunk u are at the end of the game. ill give u a hint, this game is potentially deadly.

issue 2: the officiating in the nba needs to be addressed. the perk ts were retarded. now i know i wont be the first to mention this, and yes bill simons is a boston guy, but its starting to look like david stern is fixing the league to "do whats best for basketball". simmons mentioned it in this article written after the donaghy scandal. donaghy claimed that betting was rampant amongst nba officials and that referees were told to help effect the outcome of certain games. the entire report can be read here. the bottom of page 3 of the pdf sounds extremely similar to the events that occurred in tonight's game, with elbows being ignored by dwight resulting in an injury to glen davis. the second paragraph on page two of the pdf file talks about how a gm influenced a ref to call a series one way. it talks about the ref talking to donaghy by phone and explaining what was about to happen. this is where id like to point out that joe crawford, an official assigned to game 5 of our series, is a fellow alum of a cardinal ohara high school. sure crawford is 15 years older than donaghy, but a friendship could have blossomed once entering the referee circuit. if u look at crawford's history ull see a history of bad calls and false tax filing. his most recent bad call came during the first round of this years playoffs. why a referee is allowed to continue calling games this year after that call is mind blowing. what im saying is this series is a bit fishy, and i think its to allow the series to continue to 6 or 7 games to make the nba the most money. this is why i believe we will see the lakers and celtics in the finals, not beacause they are the 2 best teams, but because its best for the league... fuck you david stern.

hot bitch
Mandy Moore
just thought about her today with some friends. never turned out uber slutty, but still was very hot. the world definately needs more mandy moores.

NFL Playoff Picks

Ok, I know this is a little out of the blue since we've only made three of four posts in the last ohhh... three or four months, but my friend Stan and I wanted to share our Round 1 playoff picks for this weekend's set of NFL games.

Game 1:
New York Jets @ Cincinnati Bengals -2.5

Stan says: "The Jets simply lucked their way into the playoffs. They finished the season by winning 5 of their last 6, but their wins were against the pre-Matt Moore Panthers, the Bills, the Bucaneers, the Colts second string, and the Bengals. They lost against the Falcons because Atlanta shut down the run and made Sanchez throw to beat them. He couldn’t. I see the Bengals crowding the line and making Sanchez air it out, which will likely not end well. Sanchez’s poor game last Sunday was overshadowed by the success in the running game. So, look for a low scoring Bengals win. 17-10 Bengals."

Conor says: "I'm not even going to break this game down. I will sum this game up in 5 words...Mark Sanchez on the road. Bengals win! Bengals win! 22-15!"

Conor's pick: Cincinnati
Stan's pick: Cincinnati


Game 2:
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys -4

Conor says: "The Eagles are banged up and the Cowboys have been playing very well as of late. Key wins in the last few weeks include knocking off the then undefeated New Orleans Saints on the road. We can't dismiss the fact that this matchup features two notoriously incompetent coaches though, Andy Reid and Wade Phillips. And on a short week, anything can happen. If I were betting on this game I'd stay away...but if someone put a gun to my head, I'd have to take the Cowboys. They seem to have hit their stride. Cowboys win 24-17."

Stan says: "I think you can throw that week 17 game out. The Eagles are not as bad as they played, and the Cowboys are not as good as they played. This is a much more evenly matched game. Both teams should move the ball, but I see the Eagles defense stepping up and forcing a big turnover or two. Add that with a couple big plays in the Eagles passing game and I think the Eagles can pull it off. 27-24 Eagles."

Stan's pick: Philly
Conor's Pick: Dallas


Game 3
Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots -4

Stan says: "The Patriots are playing this without Welker, but they still have the advantage with their passing game. The Ravens are weak at the CB position. Look for them to provide some over the top help on Moss with the safeties. This should open up the short passing game, and the middle of the field. The Ravens have a very good running game, and Flacco has a strong arm. Look for them to keep the ball on the ground for most of the game and go deep a few times with play-action. I think this game depends on if the Patriots can get some pressure on Flacco. On the whole, they don’t have very good receivers, but Flacco will find the open man if he’s given all day back there. I think each team will make 1 or 2 big plays on offense, but most of the scoring should come from driving the ball down the field. Patriots 24-20."

Conor says: "Wes Welker is a devastating injury to the Patriots. Having said that (Curb Your Enthusiasm, anyone?), Julian Edelman represents a very formidable backup, almost a Welker clone when he's out there. The Patriots still have an advantage in the passing game against Baltimore's secondary despite a banged up Tom Brady, and though the Ravens have a strong running attack against a weak Patriots rush defense...Joe Flacco is a big question mark. The Patriots were 8-0 at home this year and they will continue to roll with a 20-13 victory."

Conor's pick: New England
Stan's pick: New England


Game 4
Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals -2.5

Conor says: "Arizona has been very inconsistent all season long and that scares me...because the same could be said about the Cardinals team that ran through the NFC playoffs one year ago. But this isn't the same Arizona team. Kurt Warner has not been as effective and two key guys, Anquan Boldin and Antrelle Roll, are hurt. The Packers have been very impressive late in the season and could be the most dangerous team in the NFC. I think the Packers roll in this one behind a big game game from Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay 33, Arizona 13."

Stan says: "There are too many what-ifs (Boldin, Rogers-Cromartie) with this game to get a good read on it, but I like Green Bay even against a healthy Cardinals team. The Packers hit their stride at the perfect time, and are heading into the playoffs on a roll. To win this game, they need to give Rodgers time to find his receivers. The Cardinals are a high-octane offense and, although their running game has improved, they are still a one dimensional team. Having said that, they are going to be facing one of the better corners in the league in Woodson and they may have to do it without Boldin. Still, expect this to be the high scoring game of the weekend. Packers 31-24."

Stan's pick: Green Bay
Conor's pick: Green Bay

Remembering Lennon

29 Years Later, Reflecting on the Life and Death of John Lennon
by Conor Levis

"Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one " - "Imagine" by John Lennon




Unlike many people in this country, I don't remember where I was on December 8, 1980. Mostly because I wasn't even born yet. That doesn't mean I don't understand the significance of what happened on this day 29 years ago. For many, the Assassination of John Lennon ranks right up there with many of the other iconic events of the 21st century. People remember exactly where they were the night when Howard Cosell first broke the news in the final minutes of the Monday Night Football game that Lennon had been shot outside of his apartment building in New York City. His killer will remain nameless on this blog because we choose not to acknowledge him. He was suicidal and killed Lennon to "steal his fame" because "he was a nobody at that time". At the time it was an enormous blow to not just the music industry and to pop culture, but to our society. 29 years later, his impact is still felt today.

Though it's a somber anniversary, it is a day to celebrate John Lennon's life. The legendary musician's body of work and life still resonates with many of today's artists. The Roots drummer, Questlove, talked about the impact of John Lennon's death on him, tweeting, "29 yrs ago My 5th grade art teacher tried to explain Lennon's impact in tears. next day she brought Revolver to school: hooked for life." Lennon clearly inspired every genre of musicians and it is still seen today. To some, he was just another member of the Beatles. To others, he was a hero. He wasn't just about the music, he had a message of peace...a vision, a dream. John Lennon was so influential that President Nixon's administration tried to have him deported on several occasions and actually did have Lennon ordered to leave the US within 60 days on On 23 March 1973. The decision was ultimately overturned in 1975 and FBI files regarding Lennon have since been uncovered for the making on the documentary The U.S. vs. John Lennon. These FBI files document the Bureau's role in the Nixon Administration attempt to deport Lennon in 1972 to stop his anti-war campaign before the Nixon re-election campaign. The FBI admitted it had 281 pages of files on Lennon but refused to release most of them, they contained "national security" information. When will we ever see a musician or star with this much impact again?

Today, I choose to remember John Lennon for what he was. An unbelievable musician and an even better human being. A genius, a visionary, a hero. I could go on and on but I would never find enough words to explain the impact this man had not only on my life, but on millions and millions of others. He was the driving force behind the greatest musicians of all-time, the Beatles. You all I know how I feel about them. I don't know where or what I would be without Lennon's music. Lennon continues to be mourned throughout the world and has been the subject of numerous memorials and tributes, principally New York City's Strawberry Fields, a memorial garden area in Central Park across the street from the Dakota building. Yoko Ono, Lennon's widow, later donated $1 million for its maintenance. It has become a gathering place for tributes on Lennon's birthday and on the anniversary of his death, as well as at other times of mourning, such as after the September 11 attacks and following Harrison's death on 29 November 2001.

There will be another memorial and gathering tonight at Strawberry Fields in New York City. Tonight if you think of it, at 10:50 pm (the approximate time of his death), have a little moment of silence for Lennon. It's the least you could do for one of the greatest and most influential musicians of all-time. It's the least you could do for one of the important human beings of all time.

John Winston Ono Lennon
October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980

For Veteran's Day

For Veteran's Day, I decided to pass along a piece I wrote back in May about Memorial Day. Although they are two separate holidays, the message remains the same. Please remember on this day to honor those who served and keep them in your thoughts. I know you hear that often, but I hope this might inspire you to actually do it. Here's the actual link with a very nice comment from a Veteran at the bottom. http://celticsmusichotbitches.blogspot.com/2009/05/day-of-lost.html
Not To Be Forgotten
by Conor Levis

What does Memorial Day mean to you? It's a day that often means different things to different people. Maybe it's a day off from work, maybe it's a day off from school. Maybe it's a beach day, a cookout, or a time to observe fireworks. Or maybe you celebrate the day for it's true meaning. Unfortunately, it seems that the latter is in the minority these days. For most people, the holiday has become just another day in a long weekend. And really... who can blame them? When the weather gets nice and people can take time out of their busy lives, it's hard to fully appreciate something that doesn't resemble a major holiday. I'll admit, in the past Memorial Day was always just another day to me. Not the day that's supposed to commemorate U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. That is...up until recently.

A few months back, I had just finished a short, solid shift at work and feeling a bit more upbeat and high spirited than usual. I was walking out to the parking lot when I spotted a man wearing veteran clothing. He must have seen me looking because he began staring in my direction as he approached. It was a stare of familiarity as I had seen this man around there before. I decided to say something to him as I was about to pass. I noticed he was wearing a hat that said Vietnam Veteran, so I decided to ask him the obvious question. "Where did you serve?" the only thing that came out on the spot. "Vietnam", he responded as he came to a complete stop. I wanted to make it short and sweet so I simply reached out to shake his hand. "Thank you" is all I said as I looked him in the eye. He looked back at me almost a bit confused or perturbed. I wasn't sure if I had said or did something wrong so I took a step forward to walk away but he grabbed my shoulder to stop me. Then he said something I will remember for the rest of my life. "You know, you're one of the only people to thank me since I've been back", he said with tears in his eyes. The Vietnam War ended 34 years ago. I had no idea what to say next. As tears trickled down his face, I was happy because I felt I had done something good but so sad for this man at the same time. I basically let him know that there were others out there who felt the same way and that his service was greatly appreciated. He shook my hand again and walked away, almost like he was a little embarrassed. He had nothing to be embarrassed about.

Why had this man been so unappreciated after returning from war? I did some reading and research on it and found that this was much more common than people would think. I didn't realize how badly Vietnam veterans were treated when they returned home. Because the Vietnam War was the most unpopular and greatly protested war in this country's history, many people who were frustrated with the government back in the mid 60's to early 70's began taking it out on the soldiers. The press began spinning the returning news to negatively change public perception and painted our soldiers as "baby killers" who would willingly kill innocent people. Protesters would show up at the airport to heckle and ridicule some of our returning men. Vets would refuse to wear their uniforms upon return to avoid the backlash. It still blows my mind how this could have been when most of the men serving were being drafted and had no say on whether to fight or not. How can you fault them when those factors are at play?

Thinking about it now, I can still picture his face. The more I look back, I start to realize that there was more behind those tears than one man's nonrecognition. Behind each tear was a story. All the things he had seen, the pain and suffering he had endured, but more importantly...the friends and comrades he may have lost along the way. And that's what the holiday is all about.

Yesterday I spent Memorial Day like I do every other one. Hanging out with friends, lounging poolside, even went kayaking. But in spite of all this, my mind stayed elsewhere. I was quiet all day for the most part and even had a few friends ask me if something was wrong. I thought about my friend from a few months ago and the friends he must have lost. I thought about the youth of my generation that are serving as I write this and the lives that are lost each and every day. I finally felt in touch with this great day that we take for granted. So I ask again...What does it mean to you?

A Day in the Life

We're back, we're back, we are back! Well, atleast I am (Conor). I apologize for not posting anything in like 2 months. I wish I could come up with a valid reason...but then I'd be lying. There is no reason. You should be happy though that we are actually doing something with our lives other than writing on a website. I realized recently though that I miss sharing my thoughts and feelings with all of you. So the blog must go on! I promise I will keep up with the posting. So please start reading again. I don't ask for much.


Conor-Rick (and Stan) Vocabulary of the Week:

"The Daylights Savings Defense"
A phrase coined by Stan and I and inspired by my brother, Dane, on the way home from Salem the other night. We overheard my brother tell his girlfriend on the phone he could only see her for half an hour because it was Daylights Savings Time. This didn't make sense to us so I defined it as "any time you use Daylight Savings Time as an excuse to get out of a situation".

For example...Girl from bar: "Hey, it's Jenn with two n's from the bar last night, what time will you pick me up tonight? (Important note: never date a girl who shortens her name by throwing in extra letters. It's a very subtle way of announcing, "I'm a skank...and there are currently 3 mutated STDs forming under my cocktail dress"). You: Oh...ummm yeah about that. I forgot that it's going to be Daylight Savings Time. So I guess we can't go out tonight.

Doesn't make sense? It doesn't have to make sense! It's Daylights Savings, it already doesn't make sense. The Daylights Savings Defense, use it wisely.

There's an 86% chance one of these girls is a Jenn with 2 N's

The Great Car Ride of 1997 (That happened in 2009)
by Conor Levis

It's never a good thing when you can't even count on one hand how many good things happened to you in a year. I know this because it's a problem I currently suffer from. The only reason I bring this up is because Halloween on Saturday was one of the best days of my year. That isn't saying much. You might remember this post from a little while back (or tried not to). Unfortunately, my optimistic plea at the end was not answered. So are you ready for another venting piece? I promise not to be so dreary this time.

For the past few years, my friends and I have tried to make it a ritual to go to Salem, Massachusetts for Halloween. It really is the best place to go on the holiday. Everytime we go we have such a great time. I especially needed it to be a great time after the funk I've been in recently after having trouble financially, with school, and with my relationships. I guess I just needed something to look up. And so I grabbed a few of my close friends and set off on the Great Car Ride of 1997 (dubbed by Stan and I on our way to Salem. It was a very entertaining ride down and for some reason, that I don't think any of us understood, I decided on the year 1997). I wouldn't call it an adventurous drive down but it was definitely an active and lively one. I drove from Hooksett to get Stan, back to my house to get my brother, to my friend Bannon's on the other side of town, to the liquor store, and then we finally hit the highway (this all took approximately an hour and a half and we hadn't even set off on our journey).

The ride down was just like old times. I hadn't seen my friends in a little while, but we picked off right where we left off. Jokes were flying left and right, songs were sung, great conversations were had. I laughed and smiled more in those hours than I had in 2 weeks. But I guess that's the beauty of friendship. That no matter what happens, it stays constant. I could go into seclusion and not talk to anybody for 2 years...but the minute I run into a friend of mine, he will joke about something that happened the last time we were together. It's the truest of partnerships. I never knew how much I missed these moments until I was living them again. The highlight of the trip was the entire car singing "Steal My Sunshine" by Len and "Gimme The Loot" by the Notorious B.I.G. Before Salem, we had to stop in Boston to pick up my brother's best friend at Tufts University and my friend, Christian, at my school in Brookline. After already driving for 3 hours, we finally set off for Salem with a full car...and I couldn't have been happier.

The guys on Halloween

Driving into Salem is always a pain in the ass on Halloween. We sat in traffic for almost 30 minutes, taking turns leaving the car to piss in somebody's yard (Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures) before we ultimately decided to just park the car in front of a residence and walk the rest of the way. What a mistake. We walked nearly two miles before we finally arrived in town and, of course, saw millions of closer parking spots along the way. But that was okay. The night was young and promising, and we all had each other. Once in Salem, we met up with Rick and another group of friends. From there, we set out on the town. If you haven't been to Salem for Halloween, you're missing out. People dressed up in costumes fill the streets all over the city. You have never seen so many creative costumes in your life. The winner in my opinion was a guy who dressed up as Allen from The Hangover. He looked exactly like him and had the big sunglasses with the baby strapped in front of him. Classic. Bannon came in a close 2nd with his costume of The Jolly Green Giant. People around town loved it.

Jolly Green Giant Bannon...and a sad Moher

My friends and I just did the usual thing. We had done some drinking before and we walked around to check out the old landmarks and all of the interesting people. Christian did his thing and basically hollered at every girl who was a 5 and above while I tried my best to play wing man (not my usual game plan). Rick, Stan, Bannon and I reminisced on old times and soaked in the new times. The highlight of the night was definitely when we nearly witnessed a murder. We were in a rough part of town when we heard someone yelling. We looked over and there was a man with a butcher's knife trying to kick somebodies gate in. When he reached the door, another guy, also holding a knife, ran out of the house and booked it as the first guy chased him around the house. We didn't see what happened...because we didn't want to know what was going to happen. All I know is it was scary and I'm glad we got out of there.

After a few hours, we went back to the apartment of our friend who goes to Salem State. We spent the rest of the night drinking and enjoying good conversation. I often found myself having to sit down to do some reflecting. Even though I was having one of the best times I had in a while, I still couldn't help but feel a certain void. It stems from my relationship with my girlfriend.

It doesn't matter how long you know someone...when love happens, you just know it. I knew I loved my girlfriend from the moment I laid eyes on her. It was the way that moment made me feel inside that I knew. It really makes all the difference in the world to have that someone special in your life. The last two months, I know I've had that certain someone. During that time, I was never more happy with anyone else and she felt the same way. She told me how she already loved me more than anybody else, how her feelings for me were already on a completely different level than anyone before, how I treated her so much better than any guy ever had, and how she had never felt more safe with another guy. I felt the exact same way. We often talked about the future and how it was going to last. All of our hopes and prayers were coming true. It was two months of perfection, something we had never experienced before.

Then something happened. We fought for the first time. Following maybe our best week ever was an up and down week including several arguments and ending with a big blow up on Saturday night. The sad thing is that it was over something stupid. I couldn't even tell you what it was about if you asked me now. The only thing I knew was that things weren't perfect anymore. We decided to take a few days away from talking to clear our heads and get things back on track...and while I thought it was working, I found out quickly that it wasn't for my girlfriend. We talked on Thursday night and she told me she thought she only needed a little more space to get over what happened. She thought maybe it was because she never felt so attached to someone and she never thought it would happen to us. Once again, it wasn't the case. I didn't hear from her all day Friday and on Saturday morning she still didn't have answers. That's where we left it. I haven't heard from her since and I'm left here confused, wanting those answers but unable to get them. I know she probably doesn't have them herself, and that's what hurts the most. Maybe we rushed things, but we couldn't help it. We were just acting on how we felt...and we were crazy about each other. But I think we neglected the most important thing and the foundation of any relationship. Our friendship. The worst part is that we would have been great friends. It was the similarities and coincidences in our personalities that really brought us together. I think we just started out too hot to not cool off.

I'm not sure where we stand anymore. Will we continue on? Will we break up? Are we broken up right now? These are things I don't know. I decided it's best not to force anything and just see how it plays out. If we are to continue, I know I will make her the happiest girl in the world...even more than before. If we don't, I'll know it's something I can't control. Even if I'll always look back at our short but amazing relationship and wonder what could have been. I'm not sure that I will even shed a tear. Because there isn't a thing in this world I would trade the last two months we spent together for. Do I wish I could go back and prevent what happened? Absolutely, more than anything in this world. But the experience we shared the last 2 months is more than anything I could have ever asked for. She showed me what it was to truly love somebody. She made me want to be a better person. She showed me that there is always hope, no matter how bad things get back. And when I was feeling lost after a year of turmoil, she allowed me to find myself again. For that I will always thank her. If this is the end, I can take solace in knowing I did all the same for her. That I treated her the way she always wanted to be treated. And knowing that one day she will miss me. Maybe not now, maybe not anytime in the near future, but she will one day. And it won't be because she is attracted to me. It won't be because I'm a laid back guy. It won't be because I was nice, sweet and treated her better than anyone before. It won't because I know how to make her laugh or make her cry. Know the things she loves and the things she hates. It won't be because of how I made her feel when we made love. And it won't because we were so similar. It won't. It will be all of those things together that will make her realize she had everything she ever wanted and everything she needs. Like she told me. I just hope she'll know this before it's too late.


These are the things I thought about as I zoned out in a drunken haze. It had been a great night and for the first time in a while, I felt content with myself. There was nothing left to do...but go.

The drive home was a little more adventurous than the drive down. For some reason, I decided to let Christian, the drunkest person of our group, drive to the gas station. I must have figured, "Hey, it's right up the road. What could possibly happen?" Boy was I wrong. I think it was around the time Christian drove over the median turning at a light that I realized my mistake. I quickly had Christian pull over and I took control of the vehicle. It was one of the worst driving performances we had ever seen. It caused my friend Bannon to create these classic one liners:

• Christian has worse hand eye coordination than Christopher Reeve...post mordem.
• Christian hits curbs harder than Rodney King's face.
• Christian had a slower reaction time than Jack Nicholson at the end of one flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.
• Christian had worse foot control than Stephen Hawking.
• Christian's accident avoidance was worse than the captain of the Titanic.
• Watching Christian drive was like watching the battle for last place at the special olympics go cart course.
• Christian made a worse getaway drive than OJ Simpson.

And finally....

• Christian was auditioning to be the next driver for Princess Diana.

It's hard to believe someone can drive worse than Stephen Hawking...but it happened

After reaching the gas station and heckling Christian for a solid 10 minutes straight (although it continued well after), we embarked on a journey to find a 24-hour Sonic restaurant in Peabody that somebody had mentioned at the party we were at. This was also an unsuccessful venture as we drove around in circles for atleast half an hour before somebody finally thought to call the store...and found out they had closed at 2 in the morning. We missed them by about 20 minutes. We also realized that we were driving in circles because Christian kept punching Peabody, MA into the GPS. No address, just Peabody, MA. So it kept taking us to the same place. And just when we thought this night couldn't get any funnier, we drove by Bunghole Liquors. Yes, you read that correct and no, that isn't a typo. A liquor store named Bunghole Liquors. We had to turn around and go back just to confirm it was real...and then we died laughing. We had been driving for nearly an hour and were only about 10 minutes from the place we left, but once again we didn't care. Everyone was in high spirits.

You couldn't make this stuff up...or apparently you can.

I had driven for hours and after dropping Dan and Christian off at school in Boston and my friend Stan at his house in Hooksett, I found myself sitting outside my brother's girlfriend's house as they talked on the porch. It was nearly 5 in the morning, even with daylights savings time, and I was exhausted. I had done a lot of driving, a lot of walking, and a lot of reflecting...but I was happy. It had been a stressful couple of weeks, but I had found a bit of normalcy in my life again. I watched my brother's girlfriend smack him across the face and the shameful walk he took back to the car. I understood that I hadn't been the only one hurting. Each person deals with their own problems on a daily basis. People change in ways you can never understand. Promises that were always intended to be kept are broken. Even the strongest of feelings and emotions can disappear overnight. As I finally set off for home, tired and emotionally drained, after a long weekend...I couldn't help but laugh inside. I learned to not sweat the little things. Because in this ever changing world, there are few things you need more than a little love...and friendship.

Beatlemania

Happy Beatles Day everyone! I apologize for the blog's recent 3 week hiatus. Here is a post that I wrote 3 months ago and never got around to finishing...only it is most relevant now. 09/09/09 has officially been dubbed as "Beatles Day" for the release of the band's Rock Band game and remastered albums. The Beatles are currently the number 1 trending topic on Twitter and I just read several rumors that the Beatles discography will finally be made available on iTunes today. Many of you know me as the biggest Beatles fan you know. So naturally...I had to make this post.


A Fab-ulous Game
by Conor Levis

Yes, I am blogging about a video game today. It's not just any video game though. Months after the confirmation of a Beatles Rock Band game, details were finally released at a press conference on Monday (3 months ago). With Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison in attendance, we finally got our first look at the game with a trailer. Why is this important? Because Rock Band was once my favorite drunk game to play with friends and it instantly became cool again with a game dedicated to the greatest band of all-time. Not only that but there is the chance that this game will promote The Beatles' music and get some of the younger people and people caught up in only today's music to listen. If this game sells, which it already looks like it will, we could be headed for another Beatlemania in the U.S. It's going to be released on 09/09/09, which I found ironic given John Lennon's obsession and direct ties to the number 9 (Revolution 9 anybody? Number 9, Number 9, Number 9...). It's already got me giddy. Here's a look at the trailer for the game:



A few things I love about this preview. Definitely love the graphics. They have everybody spot on along with the venues. From Liverpool, to the Ed Sullivan Show where they first performed, to the concert at Shea Stadium in NY, and even atop of the Apple building. It looks like they are going to take you through the entire Beatles career.

I'm also happy about the song choices and the fact that we have some songs confirmed. When the game was first announced it was rumored that only songs from Please Please Me and Abbey Road would be playable...which would have been great anyway but is only a small sample of the Beatles work. It looks like they hit everything from the early years with "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" to their experimental work with "I Am the Walrus" to the final albums with "Here Comes the Sun". Here's a list of the songs confirmed by the trailer:

"I Saw Her Standing There"
"I Wanna Hold Your Hand"
"I Feel Fine"
"Daytripper"
"Taxman"
"I Am the Walrus"
"Back in the U.S.S.R"
"Octopus's Garden"
"Here Comes the Sun"
"Get Back"

It has been confirmed that there will be 45 original playable tracks total. It's also been confirmed that the entire Abbey Road album will be available for download to play. Which got me thinking...what songs do I most want to see in the game?


10. Ticket to Ride

9. Yer Blues

8. Hello Goodbye

7. Can't Buy Me Love

6. Penny Lane

5. I Should Have Known Better

4. Getting Better

3. With a Little Help From My Friends

2. Helter Skelter

1. While My Guitar Gently Weeps



Since I made this list, 7 of the 10 songs I listed were added to the game.
Here is the complete list of songs in Beatles' Rock Band.

Also, two more trailers were created to show more of the game. Here they are in their entirety.





Not only is the game being released tomorrow, but also every Beatles album remastered and re-released. This is another chance to get people listening to some of the greatest music ever created. Stores across the country are having a special midnight opening on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning and crowds are expected. It's been decades since the band has received as much buzz as they did this summer. The game has already done incredibly well in pre-orders so I want to make sure I get there first thing on Tuesday night and grab my game. I hope a lot of you do too.

Beatlemania 2009. It's coming!

Looking back at one groovy concert

When Rick and I started this blog last December, our goal was to...actually we really didn't have a reason for it. It was really a drunken, spur of the moment when blogs somehow entered a conversation we were having. But once it was created and we began posting frequently, we discovered the blog did hold some kind of purpose. The main goal is for us to share thoughts and pass along information and multimedia on things you might not otherwise know or care about. Because of this we feel the need to pass on an event that is often forgotten by my generation.




This past weekend marked the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, the festival that took place from August 15 to August 18, 1969 on a dairy farm in Bethel, NY. This morning marked the final day when Jimi Hendrix performed. What was described as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music", it is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most pivotal moments in popular music history and was listed on Rolling Stone Magazine's 50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock and Roll. During the sometimes rainy weekend, thirty-two acts performed outdoors in front of an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 concert-goers. The entire three day festival was captured on film and turned into an award winning documentary. You can watch the documentary on Comcast On-Demand.

Forty years after Woodstock, Bobbi and Nick are still together, happily married

for 38 years with two children

When I think of Woodstock, I think of more than just a festival. That's because it was more than a music festival. It was one of those unique moments that changed history, one that we'll probably never see again. The festival itself has been replicated several times...but nothing has come close to the original. People think of Woodstock as just being three days filled with sex, drugs, and music...and it was, but that's not even close to being the half of it. It was about half a million young people; teenagers and young adults from all of the country and who all shared the same beliefs, coming together for 3 days. Sure, there were drugs...a lot of them. Of course, there was sex and what the counterculture called "free love". But that was the beauty of it. For three days, complete strangers came together to live in a field, love one another, and listen to music. They showed the world how the youth of America could unite in peace and music. No reports of violence, just peace and music. How did such a wonderful and historic event come about?

Woodstock showed that young people from all over the country could co-exist

1969 was a time of turmoil and in a way, had the perfect storm of elements to create an event such as Woodstock. With the Vietnam War, the draft, and the height of the counterculture, young people everywhere were searching for some form of solidarity. While protests and rallies were a normal process of the time, there weren't many demonstrations that influenced or captivated our nation. That is until July 20, 1969, when Max Yasgur gave Michael Lang, John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, and Artie Kornfeld access to his 600 acre, Bethel, NY farm.

Michael Lang, John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, and Artie Kornfeld all initiated the efforts of Woodstock. Lang and Kornfeld had the vision and put the show together, Roberts and Rosenman handled the finances. Before long, the concert was in place and the booking began. In April 1969, newly-minted superstars Creedence Clearwater Revival were the first act to sign a contract for the event, agreeing to play for ten thousand dollars. The promoters had experienced difficulty landing big-name groups prior to the Bay Area rockers committing to play. Creedence drummer Doug Clifford later commented "Once Creedence signed, everyone else jumped in line and all the other big acts came on."

Soon, the festival had landed one of the most star-studded lineups in music history with the Who, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, and the Band among others. The Jimi Hendrix Experience were given the honor as the headlining act. Originally, the organizers told Bethel authorities they expected no more than 50,000 people. Once the word got around about who was playing at Woodstock, that number grew rapidly.

The stage and crowd of about 400,000 young people

Woodstock was designed as a profit-making venture, aptly titled "Woodstock Ventures." It famously became a "free concert" only after it became obvious that the event was drawing hundreds of thousands more people than the organizers had prepared for. Tickets for the event cost US$18 in advance (approximately US$106 today calculated for buying power, and approximately US$75 today adjusted for inflation) and $24 at the gate for all three days. Ticket sales were limited to record stores in the greater New York City area, or by mail via a post office box at the Radio City Station Post Office located in Midtown Manhattan. Around 186,000 tickets were sold beforehand and organizers anticipated approximately 200,000 festival-goers would turn up.

A naked girl addresses the crowd behind her

Free Concert!
When thousands of people began showing up at the site several days before the event even started, they soon realized their attendance expectations would be met and eventually doubled. Young people from all over the country had traveled to upstate New York to join the cause. The event poster read "3 Days of Peace and Music", everything that the 60's youth and counterculture stood for. The crowd arriving in greater number and earlier than anticipated made the decision for the organizers. The security fence that lined the field was eventually cut in part by UAW/MF Family. This prompted many more people to show up.

The faces in the crowd

The influx of attendees to the rural concert site in Bethel created a massive traffic jam. Fearing chaos as thousands began descending on the community, Bethel did not enforce its codes. Arlo Guthrie made an announcement that was included in the film saying that the New York State Thruway was closed. That's right, the traffic heading to the festival was so backed up...they shut down the New York State Thruway! To add to the problems and difficulty in dealing with the large crowds, recent rains had caused muddy roads and fields. The facilities were not equipped to provide sanitation or first aid for the number of people attending; hundreds of thousands found themselves in a struggle against bad weather, food shortages, and poor sanitation.

The traffic going to Woodstock backed up and ultimately closed the New York State Thruway





Despite the poor conditions, people used the festival's slogan to get through the weekend. Peace and music. Concert-goers went sliding in the mud, went skinny dipping, sang songs, and made new and sometimes life-long friends during the weekend. Here are some videos that show you the atmosphere that was at Woodstock.

John Sebastian performs in front of the crowd at Woodstock

Friday, August 15, 1969

The festival officially kicked off at 5:07 p.m. with an 8-song set from folk-artist, Richie Havens. The first day of the festival was dedicated to folk musicians.




The psychedelic/rock fusion band Sweetwater followed Havens, becoming the first band to play at Woodstock...performing "Crystal Spider" here.

Abbie Hoffman, a social and political activist in the United States who co-founded the Youth International Party ("Yippies") during the 60's, interrupted The Who's performance to attempt a protest speech against the jailing of John Sinclair of the White Panther Party. The Who's guitarist, Pete Townshend, was adjusting his amp between songs, turned and saw Hoffman over his right shoulder, proceeded to hit Hoffman in the back of the head with his guitar and sent Hoffman directly into the pit in front of the stage. The incident was not caught on film but there is an audio recording, so we'll give you that. The two songs here are the hits "Pinball Wizard" and "My Generation".




Abbie Hoffman Incident



Jefferson Airplane, originally scheduled to finish up on the second day, began their set at 7 AM on Sunday morning...following the Who. The band later recalled staying up the entire night before and being beyond tired when they took the stage. Regardless, they played one of the more memorable sets of Woodstock. They kicked off things off with their hit "Somebody to Love" and ended with "White Rabbit"

Jefferson Airplane - Somebody To Love - 1969
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Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit - 1969
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Many of


Sunday, August 17, 1969

Although Saturday's acts went into Sunday morning, the scheduled lineup for Sunday didn't start until 2 PM when Joe Cocker took the stage.

Joe Cocker performs "With a Little Help From My Friends". Another one of the memorable performances from Woodstock.



After Cocker's set, a thunderstorm delayed the event for several hours. Here's what transpired in the crowd during that time:



Awesome, right?


The concert resumed when Country Joe came back out with his band, The Fish, at around 6 PM.


The Band took the stage around 10 PM and performed hits such as "Tears of Rage" and "The Weight"





Blood, Sweat & Tears ushered in the midnight hour with five songs, including "Spinning Wheel".




Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young) came on to perform around 3 AM. They claim that this was only the 2nd live performance they've done together. What a time to do it. Here's the hit "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes".




Monday, August 18, 1969

Jimi Hendrix, who was supposed to close the show on Sunday Night, didn't end up coming out until Monday morning for the defining set of the Woodstock Festival. The only bad part was that so many people had left the concert because it was a Monday (work, school, etc.), that only about 180,000 people of the once 500,000 got to see this performance. Luckily, the entire set was captured on film and people today get to enjoy it. Included here is my favorites, "Foxy Lady", "Fire", "Voodoo Child", Hendrix playing guitar with his teeth, the famous rendition of "Star Spangled Banner", "Purple Haze" and "Hey Joe". Enjoy.













The Encore




Woodstock Music & Art Fair- August 15, 1969 to August 18,1969